Ahmad said: It is appropriate for the fasting person to attend to his fast by watching his tongue, not to argue, and to protect his fast. When they fasted, they would sit in the mosques and say: "We are protecting our fast." He should not backbite anyone, nor perform any deed that would mar his fast. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever does not abandon false speech and acting upon it, Allah has no need for him to abandon his food and drink." Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Allah the Almighty says: Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except fasting, for it is for Me, and I reward it. Fasting is a shield, so when it is a day of fasting for one of you, he should not commit obscenity nor shout. If someone insults him or fights him, let him say: I am a fasting person. By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the smell of the fasting person's mouth is better with Allah than the scent of musk. The fasting person has two joys in which he rejoices: when he breaks his fast he rejoices, and when he meets his Lord he rejoices in his fast." (Both are) agreed upon (5).
Section: On Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree): It is a noble, blessed, magnificent, and preferred night. Allah the Almighty said: {Laylat al-Qadr is better than a thousand months} (6). It is said: The meaning is that the deed performed in it is better than the deed performed in a thousand months that do not contain Laylat al-Qadr. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever stands (in prayer) on Laylat al-Qadr out of faith and in anticipation of reward, his past sins will be forgiven." (Agreed upon) (7). It is said: It was only called the night of
(5) The first was recorded by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter on whoever does not abandon false speech and acting upon it while fasting, from the Book of Fasting. And in: The Chapter on the saying of Allah the Almighty: {And avoid false speech}, from the Book of Etiquette (Al-Adab). Sahih al-Bukhari 3/33, 8/21. We did not find it in Muslim, see: Tuhfat al-Ashraf 10/307, 308. It was also recorded by Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter on backbiting for the fasting person, from the Book of Fasting. Sunan Abi Dawud. And al-Tirmidhi, in: The Chapter on what has been said regarding the severity of backbiting for the fasting person, from the Chapters on Fasting. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 3/226. And Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter on what has been said regarding backbiting and obscenity for the fasting person, from the Book of Fasting. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/539. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 2/452, 453, 505. The second was previously documented in 1/138. (6) Surah al-Qadr 3. (7) Recorded by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter on standing (in prayer) on Laylat al-Qadr out of faith, from the Book of Faith. And in: The Chapter on the merit of Laylat al-Qadr, from the Book of Laylat al-Qadr. Sahih al-Bukhari 1/15, 3/59. And Muslim, in: The Chapter on encouragement to perform night prayer during Ramadan =
أحمدُ: يَنْبَغِى لِلصَّائِمِ أنْ يَتَعاهَدَ صَوْمَه من لِسانِه، ولا يُمَارِى، ويَصُونَ صَوْمَه، كانوا إذا صامُوا قَعدُوا فى المَساجِدِ، وقالوا: نَحْفَظُ صَوْمَنا. ولا يَغْتابُ أحَدًا، ولا يَعْمَلُ عَمَلًا يَجْرَحُ به صَوْمَه. وقال رسولُ اللهِ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-: "مَنْ لمْ يَدَعْ قَؤلَ الزُّورِ، والعَمَلَ به، فلَيْسَ للهِ حَاجَةٌ فى أن يَدَعَ طَعَامَهُ وشَرَابَهُ". وقال أبو هُرَيْرَةَ: قال رسولُ اللهِ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-: "قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ لَهُ، إلَّا الصِّيَامَ، فَإنَّهُ لِى، وَأَنا أَجْزِى بِهِ، الصِّيَامُ جُنَّةٌ، فَإِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ صَوْمِ أحَدِكُمْ فلَا يَرْفُثْ، ولا يَصْخَبْ، فَإنْ سَابَّه أحَدٌ أو قَاتَلَه، فَلْيَقُلْ: إنِّى امْرُؤٌ صَائِمٌ. وَالَّذِى نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِه، لَخُلُوفُ فَمِ الصَّائِمِ أطْيَبُ عند اللهِ من رِيحِ المِسْكِ، لِلصَّائِمِ فَرْحَتَان يَفْرَحُهُما، إذا أفْطَرَ فَرِحَ، وإذا لَقِىَ رَبَّهُ فَرِحَ بِصَوْمِه". مُتَّفَقٌ عليهما (٥).
فصل: فى لَيْلَةِ القَدْرِ: وهى لَيْلَةٌ شَرِيفَةٌ مُبَارَكَةٌ مُعَظَّمَةٌ مُفَضَّلَةٌ، قال اللهُ تعالى: {لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ} (٦). قِيلَ: مَعْنَاهُ العَمَلُ فيها خَيْرٌ من العَمَلِ فى ألْفِ شَهْرٍ ليس فيها لَيْلَةُ القَدْرِ. وقال النَّبِىُّ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-: "مَنْ قَامَ لَيْلَةَ القَدْرِ إيمَانًا واحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ ما تَقَدَّمَ من ذَنْبِه". مُتَّفَقٌ عليه (٧). وقيل: إنَّما سُمِّيَتْ لَيْلَةَ
(٥) الأول أخرجه البخارى، فى: باب من لم يدع قول الزور، والعمل به فى الصوم، من كتاب الصوم. وفى: باب قول اللَّه تعالى: واجتنبوا قول الزور، من كتاب الأدب. صحيح البخارى ٣/ ٣٣، ٨/ ٢١. ولم نجده عند مسلم، انظر: تحفة الأشراف ١٠/ ٣٠٧، ٣٠٨.كما أخرجه أبو داود، فى: باب الغيبة للصائم، من كتاب الصيام. سنن أبى داود. والترمذى، فى: باب ما جاء فى التشديد فى الغيبة للصائم، من أبواب الصوم. عارضة الأحوذى ٣/ ٢٢٦. وابن ماجه، فى: باب ما جاء فى الغيبة والرفث للصائم، من كتاب الصيام. سنن ابن ماجه ١/ ٥٣٩. والإمام أحمد، فى: المسند ٢/ ٤٥٢, ٤٥٣, ٥٠٥.والثانى تقدم تخريجه فى ١/ ١٣٨.(٦) سورة القدر ٣.(٧) أخرجه البخارى، فى: باب قيام ليلة القدر من الإيمان، من كتاب الإيمان. وفى: باب فضل ليلة القدر، من كتاب ليلة القدر. صحيح البخارى ١/ ١٥، ٣/ ٥٩. ومسلم، فى: باب الترغيب فى قيام رمضان =
